Valparaíso
Long defunct (and home to a pack of street cats), El Puerto's beautifully restored food market should be open again by the time you read this.
Valparaíso
Long defunct (and home to a pack of street cats), El Puerto's beautifully restored food market should be open again by the time you read this.
Porto Alegre
About 1km southeast of the cathedral lies Parque Farroupilha, the city’s largest park and home to a sprawling flea market on Sunday morning.
Paramaribo
This is the biggest of the many Hindu temples in Paramaribo, and is a beautifully ornate structure both inside and out. Visitors are welcome.
Cali & Southwest Colombia
In the lower levels of the Santuario de Las Lajas church, this museum includes exhibits on the history of Las Lajas plus some religious art.
Buenos Aires
The Abasto neighborhood was once home to tango legend Carlos Gardel, and on this cobbled street off Av Anchorena is a statue of the singer.
Trujillo
Iglesia de Santa Ana is made of adobe and was one of the first iglesia for indigenous worshippers within a Spanish colonial city.
Faculdade de Medicina Building
Salvador
A Portuguese prince, upon arrival in Salvador in 1808, founded a school of surgery here that was later named the Bahia School of Medicine.
Valparaíso
Classically inspired church, allegedly sacked by Sir Francis Drake in the 16th century. The fourth construction is the one you see today.
French Guiana
The renovated historical ruins at Fort Diamant, an old coastal battery dating from the early 19th century, are along the main beach road.
Uruguay
In parkland near the riverfront, this museum features a small but well-displayed selection of anthropological artifacts and gaucho gear.
The Amazon
The soaring concave facade and gleaming white paint make this modern church hard to miss, especially as it faces Boa Vista's main plaza.
São Paulo
Displays the work of some of the city’s most cutting-edge contemporary artists, both well-established names and up-and-coming newbies.
Museu Histórico Júlio de Castilhos
Porto Alegre
Near the Praça da Matriz is Museu Histórico Júlio de Castilhos, displaying gaúcho artifacts in a typical 19th-century home.
Minas Gerais
Built in colonial style between 1930 and 1940 on the site of a much older church, Diamantina's cathedral dominates the historic center.
Popayán
The central seat of this public university is in a magnificent old colonial mansion that non-students may only admire from the outside.
Museo del Monasterio de Madres Concepcionistas
Loja
A half-block east of Parque Central, this monastery has three public rooms housing religious treasures from the 16th to 18th centuries.
Córdoba & the Central Sierras
Stroll over to the lovely former train station for a look at its green corrugated-metal roofs and decorative ironwork dating from 1884.
Cochabamba
North of the river, the baroque Iglesia de la Recoleta (construction began in 1654) houses the attractive wooden Cristo de la Recoleta.
South Coast
The Moorish, pastel-colored City Hall building was badly damaged in the earthquake and sits on the corner of the park awaiting repair.
Iguazú Falls & the Northeast
The Visitor Center has displays on natural history, including a small reptile house, and offers video screenings throughout the day.
Cuenca
The 19th-century Church of San Sebastián stands on beautiful Plaza de San Sebastián, on the western edge of the historical center.
Santiago
Near the top of the funicular is the Terraza Bellavista, where there are a few snack stands and extraordinary views across the city.
Cali & Southwest Colombia
Grand on the outside, gold encrusted inside, this church on Pasto's main square is a fine example of colonial baroque architecture.
Sucre
Built in 1544, this church is one of the city's oldest, and has an altarpiece designed by the important sculptor Juán Hernández.
Bolivia
The lovely yellow Cathedral of Peter and Paul sits on the main plaza. You might catch a rowdy wedding celebration as it emerges.
Guayaquil
Behind the open-air Teatro Bogotá is the oldest church in Guayaquil. Founded in 1548 and restored in 1938, it’s worth a look.
El Chaltén
A simple chapel of Austrian design memorializes the many climbers who have lost their lives to the precarious peaks since 1953.
South Coast
Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (of tower fame) designed the cathedral, noted for its fine stained-glass windows and onyx high altar.
Buenos Aires
Inaugurated in 1903, this neoclassical, temple-like building with gray, granite columns is actually a public primary school.
Cochabamba
This church and its accompanying convent of the same name were built in the early 20th century in an unadorned Gothic style.
La Serena
The handsome neoclassical Iglesia Catedral dates from 1844; it also has a sobering museum of religious art.
Porto Seguro
Marks the spot where the Portuguese explorer seized this stretch of coastline from native people in the early 16th century.
Jardín Botánico Reinaldo Espinosa
Loja
Across the road from the Parque Universitario, 5km south of the center, this botanical garden has nearly 900 plant species.
Loja
A block north of the Parque Central, this smallish plaza is crowned by a statue of the city’s founder astride his horse.
Arequipa
This colonial church in the city center of Arequipa has a white interior that contrasts with its gold-leaf picture frames.
Cuenca
If you speak Spanish, Cuenca's planetarium screens its show twice daily. Morning screenings usually require a reservation.
South Coast
When temperatures are searing from January through to at least March, the beachside aquatic park opens alongside the sea.
Along the Río Paraná
Santa Fe's cathedral is dominated by more imposing buildings on this elegant square. It dates from the mid-18th century.
Brasília
Water cascades between the arches of the Palácio de Justicia into a koi fish pond. Visitors cannot access the interior.
Sucre
Sucre houses Bolivia's supreme court in this neoclassical building fronting Parque Bolívar. It was inaugurated in 1945.